I know this will be three posts in a row but I'm going to try some experimenting tomorrow or Sunday. I'm going to use my Outback with the 6mt to slow to the vehicle to engine idle RPM while using varying gears. Example: Coast down in first gear until the engine hits 600 rpm (or whatever the idle RPM is for the day), then do the same thing in second gear, and then do the same thing in third gear. Here is my theory:
-An increase in engine braking at a certain non-variable speed (unrelated to transmission gear and engine RPM) will indicate software programming (like fuel programming, throttle-by-wire/throttle body programming, etc).
-An increase in engine braking at a certain engine RPM (unrelated to vehicle speed or transmission gear) will indicate something like the VVT and/or software programming.
-If there is a constant rate of engine braking all around regardless of transmission gear, vehicle speed, or engine RPM, the effect everyone here are experiencing is probably something to do with the CVT and/or software programming differences with the CVT option.
Please let me know if there are any flaws to my above theories.
I know the best testing results would for me to slow down to a complete stall and do things like unplug the VVT wiring socket but I'm not that mean to my car so I refuse to do that.